Grain-thresher.



T. F. CUMMINGS.

GRAIN THRESHER.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 19, 1912.

Patented June 2, 1914.

2 SHEETS-$113151 1.

WITNESSES I v INVENTOR fiaflwjimm J T. F. CUMMINGS.

GRAIN THRESHER.

APPLICATION FILED IBB.19, 1912.

Patented June 2, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Altorne J THOMAS IE. CUMMINGS, 015 FORT COBB, OKLAHOMA.

GRAITLTHRESHER.

Specification of Letters IE'atcnt.

Application filed February 19, 1912.

Patented June 2, 1914.

Serial No. 6753,443.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS l GUM- irrNos, a citizen of the United States, residing); at Fort Cobb, in the county of Uaddo and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Thresher-s of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to grain threshers, and has for its object the production of a simple and ellicient thresher which is small, compact and may be easily handled.

Another object of this invention is the production of an eflicient thrcsher and driving mechanism which is supported upon the same truck for facilitating the transporting of the thresher from place to place.

Still another object of this invention is the production of an eiiicient conveyer showing the mechanism for facilitating the con necting of the conveyor bars to the chain.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :l*igure 1 is a side elevation of the truck supporting the thresher. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the thresher. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the thresher. l is a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section of a portion of the thresher, looking down upon the top of the conveyor apron. 6 is a detail perspective of one of the fan blowers. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of one of the chain links adapted to engage the conveyor bars. liig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the thresher showing the driving mechanism therefor.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals 1 designates the truck frame which is supported upon the usual wheels 2. An engine 3 is carried by the truck frame and is preferably positioned near the center thereof intermediate the front and rear wheels. A threshing casing l is carried by the rear of the truck and, when in an opera tive position is positioned upon the extreme rear end of said truck, as illustrated in Fi 1. The truck comprises a plurality of parallel beams 5 having grooves 6 formed upon the inner faces thereof for receiving the means of a bolt 9.

runners 7 carried by the bottom of the thresher casing 4-. These runners 7 travel in the grooves or notches (S for facilitating the sliding; of the threshing frame upon the truck 1 so that the thresher frame may be brought up to the position as shown in dotted lines when conveying the truck from place to place. This frame 4 is braced, when in its operative position. by means of an angle brace 8 which is adjustably secured to one of the beams at its lower end by Of course it should be understood, that the engine 3 may be of any desired type, although, an explosive engine is herein illustrated. This casing l is held in its proper position upon the rear end of the beams 5 when in its operative position,

by means of hooks 10.

A plurality of brackets 13. are carried by the side of the casing; i and support a drive shaft 12, which shaft carries a drive pulley 13. This drive pulley 13 is driven by means of a belt 14 which belt travels around the drive pulley 15 of the engine 3. The opposite end of the shaft 12 carries a beveled gear 16 which meshes with a gear 17 carried. by the shaft 18. This shaft 18 carries an agitating cylinder 19 which cylinder is provided with a plurality of spurs 20 for separating the grain as it passes from the hopper 21 into the compartment 22 occupied by the cylinder 19. The lower end of the compartment 22 comprises a substantially semicircular plate 23 which extends trans versely of the casing 41:, and this plate is provided upon its inner face with a nu1nber of teeth 24, which cooperate with the teeth 20 formed upon the cylinder 19. A substantially semicircular hood 25 is formed over the cylinder 19 conforming to the con tour of said cylinder.

A plurality of apron supporting rollers 26 are carried by the frame 4- and these rollers are so positioned as to have the conveyor apron 27 extend upwardly at an angle of about sixty degrees from directly below the cylinder 19 to a point approximately the center of the casing 4:, as indicated in Fig. 3. A deflector hood member 28 is carried by the top of the frame or casing a, and is substantially semi-circular in cross section, and acts as a deflector means for causing the grain and shelf conveyer from the apron 27 to drop directly downward. so that the same may be acted upon by the blast coming from the fan 29, hereinafter described. This conveyer apron 27 is of the usual type, to Wit, a strip of canvas having transversely extending cleats 30 secured thereto.

A fan hood 31 is carried directly below the apron 27, and has a discharge opening 32. A blower fan 29 is mounted within the casing 31 and owing to the fact that the opening within the hood 32 is so positioned as to cause a blast of air to pass longitudinally of the casing 4, the grain dropping from off the apron 27 will, of course, be acted upon or blown by the air passing from the fan 29 before the grain reaches the raker bars or raker apron 33. A sieve 34 is carried by the casing 4, and is provided with a plurality of fine perforations for allowing the grain to drop therethrough. This sieve 34 is placed at an angle substantially parallel with the conveyer apron 27, and over this sieve 34 pass the raker bars 33. This sieve 34 is supported by means of angle brackets 35. The raker bars 33 above referred to are, carried by the drive chains 36 which chains pass over the drive sprockets 37. The links of the chain 36 are at intervals provided with laterally extending ears 38 which ears are formed integral therewith, and these ears 38 extendfrom the outer edge of the link of the chain so as to lie directly upon the raker bars 33 which bars pass transversely of the screen or sieve 34 as illustrated in Fig. 4, and also in Fig. 7 It will, therefore, be obvious that a very eflicient and durable securing means has been produced for attaching the raker bars to the chain without interfering with the operation of the sprocket chain, as the same passes over the sprocket wheels.

A chute plat-form 39 is supported near one end of the casing 4, and directly below the lower end of the conveyer apron 27, and this chute 39 overhangs the lower fan casing 40 as illustrated in Fig. 3 so as to project any grain which might flow over the lower end of the apron 27 directly in the path of the blast coming out from the lower casing 40, whereby the chaff may be readily separated from the grain. A fan 41 is carried in the lower casing 40, similar to the fan 29 above referred to. Both the fan 41 and fan 29 comprise cross bars 42 which are connected by means of pitched paddle members 43 but, it should be understood that, if so desired, any other form of fan may be so employed for obtaining the desired result.

A deflector platform 44 is carried by the casing 4 and extends upwardly from the grain discharge opening 45 to the clean-out end of the casing 4. This platform 44 is so pitched as to direct the clean grain dropping through the sieve 34 directly to the discharge opening 45. An inclined platform 46 is formed integral with the hood 40 of the fan 41, and also assists in directing any grain which might be deposited thereon to the opening 45. A spiral conveyer of an augerlike structure 47 is placed over the discharge opening 45 and is rotated simultaneously with the other mechanism to wit, fans, etc, for feeding the grain and preventing the same from becoming clogged within the discharge opening 45. Of course, it should be understood that any desired receptacle may be placed below the discharge opening 45 for receiving the grain discharged from the casing 4. The space beneath said guiding plate or platform 44 forms a pocket in which the chaff may collect before opening the door 48 to remove the chaff.

A door 48 is carried by one end of the casing 4 for allowing the chat? and other foreign substance to be removed from the casing 4 when desired.

The operation of the device is as follows :-The grain is placed within the hopper 24, from which it passes into the agitating compartment 22, and is delivered upon the conveyer apron 27. The grain is then carried from the conveyer apron 27 and drops over the upper end thereof, and by so dropping will, of course, pass in the path of the air blast from the fan 29. In view of the fact that the grain will be acted upon by this air blast before the same touches the rakers, it will be obvious that chaff will be readily separated from the kernels of the wheat or other grain. By having the deflector plate 28 positioned as illustrated it will be obvious that grain will be caused to have this direct downward movement when being delivered from the apron 27 The grain after passing through the air blast will drop upon the screen or sieve 34, and will fall therethrough down upon the platform 44 where it will be directed to the discharge opening 45. A second air blast will catch the grain as it falls from the sieve upon the platform again separating all of the light material, such as chaff, from the grain, causing the light material to be deposited at the end of the casing 4, near the door 48. As above stated, provided any grain should fall upon the chute 39, grain will readily pass or fall in front of the air blast from the fan 41, and heavy grain will drop into the discharge opening 45, and the light chafi be blown to the opposite end of the machine. The auger or spiral conveyer 47 will then keep the grain in an agitated condition so as to prevent the same from clogging and insuring an easy flow out from the discharge opening 45. The opposite end of the shaft 18 carries a pair of pulleys 49, one of which pulleys carries a cross belt 50 which passes over a pulley carried by the shaft 51 for driving the conveyer shaft 26 in the proper direction. The shaft 51 also carries a pulley 52 which pulley carries a straight belt 53 passing over a pulley 5a which pulley is carried by a shaft 55 carrying the drive sprocket 37 of the chain 36. A fan operating pulley 56 is carried by the shaft 57 which supports the fan 29, and this pulley is driven by means of a cross belt 58, which passes over one of the pulleys 49 carried by the shaft 18. A second cross belt 59 passes over the pulley 56 and this cross belt in turn passes over a pulley 60, which in turn drives the lower blow fan 11. A pulley 61 is carried by the drive shaft 62 which supports the lower sprocket wheel 37 for driving the chain 36 and over this pulley passes a belt 63 which also passes over the auger driving pulley 64.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that a very eflicient and compact threshing machine has been produced which is simple in construction eflicient in operation, and consists of a comparatively small number of parts.

What is claimed is In a thresher, a housing provided with an outlet opening, a door at one end of said housing, an inclined guiding plate having side supporting walls leading from the opening in said housing to a point adjacent said door, the space beneath said guiding plate forming a pocket in which chaff may collect before said door is open to remove the chafi, and means within said housing for depositing clean grain upon said guiding plate and conveying the chaff into the space beneath said guiding plate.

I11 testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS F. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

PAUL GILBERT, J. H. KUYKENDOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, "Washington, D. G. 

